Felonies are the most serious criminal charges; there is no way around it. After all, a felony conviction can result in a long prison sentence and result in a “convicted felon” label that can haunt a person for the rest of their life.
It is not uncommon for someone to view a lesser misdemeanor charge as “just a misdemeanor”, relived that they are not faced with the harsh consequences of a felony charge.
This attitude, while understandable, is incorrect. There is no such thing as a minor criminal charge and certainly no such thing as “just a misdemeanor”. A misdemeanor can result in penalties such as fines and up to a year in jail.
Like a felony conviction, a misdemeanor conviction will result in a criminal record. Having a criminal conviction on your record can limit your employment opportunities, your housing opportunities and even your volunteer opportunities. Anything that involves a criminal background check can be negatively affected by having a misdemeanor conviction on your record.
The best course of action is to treat every accusation or charge as the serious matter it is. The only way to avoid the criminal and collateral consequences of a misdemeanor offense is to mount an aggressive defense with the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney.
A defense attorney can do the talking for you and negotiate a better outcome. Early intervention by your attorney could result in charges being reduced or not filed in the first place. Your choice of attorney can make the difference between charges being dismissed and having to live the rest of your life with a criminal record.
Choose wisely.